In The Raw Sushi

What In The Raw Sushi does

In The Raw Sushi is a privately held, multi-location sushi and Japanese-fusion restaurant group headquartered in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metro. Founded by Greg Hughes in 1998 after a 1997 opening in the Brookside district, the group now operates three distinct concepts under the In The Raw brand: the original Brookside flagship (casual neighborhood dining), the On The Hill location above the Woodland Hills retail district (events and weekend traffic), and the VU Downtown venue on the 6th floor of the Vast Bank building (premium skyline positioning and late-night lounge). A fourth company-owned unit in Jenks is announced as coming soon, and the group is also actively soliciting franchise partners. Beyond sushi, sashimi, and cooked Asian-fusion cuisine, the group operates sister concepts En Fuego (Baja-inspired) and LowDown (speakeasy jazz club), and offers catering and events, a points-based loyalty program, gift cards, and a photo/film permit program at VU.

The business runs on a standard full-service restaurant operating model: dine-in service across all locations, takeout and delivery via third-party aggregators (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub), and reservations managed through Resy. Revenue is generated primarily through on-premises food and beverage sales, supplemented by catering contracts, gift card float, event space rental, and photography permits. The technology stack is conventional for an independent restaurant group — a Squarespace website, third-party delivery and reservation platforms — with no proprietary technology, app, or data assets identified. Customer segments are entirely consumer-facing, spanning Tulsa-area residents, downtown professionals, retail shoppers, and private event clients, with no enterprise or institutional accounts in the mix.

The company is wholly owned and operated by founders Greg Hughes and Ashley Hughes, who joined as co-owner in 2016. There is no disclosed external investment, no parent company, and no evidence of institutional or private-equity involvement. Growth to date has been entirely organic and geographically narrow: a 2002 South Tulsa expansion, prior Oklahoma City and Broken Arrow locations (status not confirmed in current data), the 2020 VU launch, and the announced Jenks location. A franchising program is now active, representing the first capital-light growth vector in the company's 26+ year history.

Name

In The Raw Sushi

Legal name

In The Raw Sushi

Website

https://intherawsushi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

In The Raw Sushi is a privately held Tulsa-based sushi and Japanese-fusion restaurant group operating three dine-in locations (Brookside, VU Downtown, On The Hill) with a fourth Jenks unit in development. It serves Tulsa-area consumers across casual and premium dayparts and supplements dine-in with catering, loyalty, gift cards, and sister concepts En Fuego and LowDown.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sushi / Japanese Restaurant

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Retailers (445250), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Store Sushi & Asian Prepared Foods (CRAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sushi/Sashimi-Grade & Raw Ready-to-Serve Seafood (Including Poke) (AFANALAI), Frozen Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (AFANAFAC)

Keywords

• Sushi restaurant
• Japanese cuisine
• Sushi rolls
• Restaurant catering
• Casual dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain

Core offering

In The Raw Sushi is a multi-location sushi restaurant group in Tulsa, Oklahoma that prepares and serves Japanese cuisine — including sushi rolls, sashimi, and related menu items — to individual diners. Beyond dine-in service, the brand offers online ordering for pickup, off-premise catering, digital gift cards, a customer loyalty/rewards program, and a photography permit program for guests. The group also operates sister concepts En Fuego and LowDown alongside the sushi brand.

Product overview

In The Raw Sushi is a multi-location sushi restaurant chain in Tulsa, Oklahoma with over 26 years of experience. The core offering is sushi, sashimi, and Japanese-fusion cuisine served in a high-energy atmosphere. The brand operates three primary locations (VU Downtown, Brookside, and On The Hill) with a fourth location coming soon in Jenks. The restaurant offers dine-in service, online/takeout ordering through third-party delivery apps, full catering services, gift cards, and a loyalty program. The company also operates sister concepts including En Fuego (Baja-inspired dining) and LowDown (jazz club).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• En Fuego: A Baja-inspired restaurant with bold flavors, lively energy, and an extensive tequila menu.
• LowDown

Products and services

• Dine-in sushi and Japanese cuisine service

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Sushi Sake Grill: Midwest-based sushi and sake chain with contemporary design and a similar high-energy dining atmosphere. Comparable in concept positioning and regional multi-unit model.
• Benihana: Multi-unit Japanese restaurant chain offering sushi alongside hibachi and cooked Asian dishes, with comparable dine-in and event/group dining focus. Directly comparable as a scaled Japanese-cuisine chain operator.
• Kona Grill: Upscale sushi and American fusion chain with full bar and patio dining. Comparable in offering sushi alongside cooked dishes with a similarly polished, upscale-casual vibe.
• RA Sushi Bar & Grill: Multi-location sushi and Asian-fusion chain with similar high-energy bar atmosphere, loyalty program, and franchised growth. Closest comparable in concept, scale, and customer experience.
• Wildfish Seafood Grill: Multi-location seafood and sushi chain with a similar full-service dining experience and event focus. Comparable in product mix (sushi plus cooked seafood) and customer positioning.
• Kura Sushi: Publicly traded conveyor-belt and traditional sushi chain with multiple U.S. locations. Comparable as a multi-unit sushi operator with a focus on consistent quality and scalable concept.

Broad incumbents

• Nobu Restaurants: Globally recognized upscale Japanese restaurant brand with strong event/destination appeal. Comparable as a high-end sushi/Japanese operator, though at materially larger scale and brand prestige.
• Bonefish Grill: National seafood chain with comparable full-service dining model, catering, and gift card programs. Broader seafood focus (not sushi-specialized), but comparable in scale and operational structure.
• P.F. Chang's: National Asian cuisine chain with broader pan-Asian menu including sushi. Comparable as a large-scale Asian-dining operator, though broader in cuisine and customer base than In The Raw's sushi-focused niche.

Regional players

• Sushi Zushi: Texas-based sushi chain operating multiple locations in the South-Central U.S. Comparable as a multi-unit sushi brand, though geographically concentrated outside of Oklahoma.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/in-the-raw-sushi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about In The Raw Sushi